Nesting apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet l fll l I A. G. WATERS NESTING APPARATUS Filed May 22, 1939 April 30, 1940.

Inventor Attorney! ALBERT G.WATER5,

9 By mwl i l -wUL April 1940a A. G. WATERS 2.198.748

NESTING APPARATUS Filed May 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 kg Inventor ALBERT G. WATERS),

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Attorneys Patented Apr. 30, 1940 2,198,748 s NESTING APPARATUS Albert G. Waters, Perth mbo N. J.

Application May 22,1939, Serial No. 275,068

2 Claims. (Cl. 119-45 My invention relates to rafts andmore particularly to improvements in nesting apparatus for water fowl and the like. 1

The invention is designed with the particular purpose inview of providing an eflicient nesting apparatus for ducks, geese andother water fowl which seek their nests along shore and whereby GYI the nests, eggs, and young fowl wlllbe protected.

from injury by tides, vermin, predatory animals,

such as dogs, cats and the like, and which will also in time of storms protect the setting fowls.

x Another object is to provide a device of the character and for the purpose above set forth a which is durable, substantially weatherprooiand inexpensive to manufacture.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which together with the precise nature of my improve- .ment will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of apparatus con structed in accordance with my invention. Figure 2 is a view in side elevation. Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and i a Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the

apparatus of my invention, in its preferred embodiment, has the form of a raft with a skeleton deck 2 and side rows of nests 3 on saiddeck.

The deck 2 is an elongated rectangular struc ture comprising a pair of transverse cleats 41 m the bars 5 and the innermost bar 6 of each pair being higher than the outermost. A pair of.

roost rails l extend along the tops of the innermost bars 5 and alongside the innermost bars 6,

said rails I projecting slightly above thebars 5 for gripping by the fowls in roosting.

preferably of wood, at opposite ends of, the strucnix: Each pair of bars Gsupports a plurality of nests 3 in the form of nail kegs disposed lengthwise across the bars 6 in a row and in side by side contacting relation with open ends innermost and closed ends outermost.

As is best 5 shown in Figure 4, the roost rails I extend above the bottom portions of the open ends of the nests 3 and function as guards preventing eggs and 1 young fowl from being thrown out of the nests under pitching of the apparatus. The innermost 1 bar 6 of each pair beinghighest the nests 3 are tilted endwise upwardly so that the open end of each nestis the highest, thereby further preventing eggs or young fowls from rolling out under pitching of the apparatus. As is also shown in- 15 Figure 4 the kegs forming the nests 3are of usual convex side type forming inthe described position thereoi. concave bottoms 8 for the nests accommodated between the bars 6. i

The nests 3 of each row are secured together 20 in the described relation and to the bars 6 by means of a yoke 9 of flexible strap iron one of which is provided for each row and which extends lengthwise of the row across thetops of the nests 3 approximately centrally thereof.

Each yoke 9 comprises ends 10 bent around the end nests 3 of the row and extending down to the cleats 4 to which saidends are secured by spikes, or nails, as at II.

The described deck is supported by corner floats I2 preferably having the form of. closed metal cylinders. The floats l2 are clamped to i the cleats 4 and to short cross cleats I3 secured to the under side of each pair of bars 5 alongside the cleatsl. For this purpose a pair of U-shaped strap iron yokes H! for each float I2 is utilized, said yokes being loopedaround the float adjacent opposite ends thereof, respectively, and

bolted, as at I5, to the adjacent, cleats 4 and one of the cleats l3.

Suitable mooring rings are secured to the cleats 4, as at l6, so that the apparatus may be tied to shore stakes, or the like, or anchored as desired. s i The described apparatus, as will nowreadily be seen, provides a safe nesting place for ducks, more particularly, in which eggs, or young, may be left protected against rain, wind, high tides,

rodents, and to a large extent vermin. The apparatus may be very inexpensively constructed, is easy to keep clean and is inaccessible as regards the nests, to rats either of, the land or water variety, weasels, and such animals, by virtue of the fact that the metal floats [2 block 1. A raft for nesting water fowls comprising-a1,

skeleton deck of substantially rectangular form, corner floats supporting said deck and comprising closed metal cylinders, and .-a row, of nests surmounting said deck along each, side thereof, said nests being of barrel-like form and extend-- ing in each row crosswise of the deck and side, I

by side, the nests of each row having closed ends disposed outermost and open ends disposed innermost, and being inclined to dispose the closed ends thereof lowermost, and a pair of roost bars on said deck extending along said rows of nests, respectively, and across the open ends of said nests, said bars projecting above the bottoms of said open ends to prevent young fowls' from creeping out of the nests.

2. A raft for nesting water fowls comprising a skeleton deck of substantially rectangular form,

corner floats supporting said deck, and a row of nests surmounting said deck alongeach side thereof, said nests being of barrel-like form and extending in each row cross-wise of the deck and side by side, the nests of each row having closed ends disposed outermost and open ends disposed innermost, and being inclined to dispose the closed ends thereof lowermost, and a pair of roost bars on said deck extending along said rows of nests,-respectively, and across the open ends of said nests, said bars projecting above the bottoms of said open ends to prevent young fowls 20 the nests.

from creeping outof l i ALBERT G. WATERS. 

